Door latch



E. L. WILSQN DOOR LATCH Filed June 20, 1927 I 5 Sheets-Sheet l .30 2S /9 111 /4z 23 zz Q Q Z3 Y ff 1 1 7a. l zo @3 /4 `//3 v50 l 3l jx E z! 3a l 23 INVENTOR.

07m/alf WM ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 12, 1929.

E. L. VWLSON DOOR LATCH Filed June 20, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet IN1/mj TOR. ZZM/ i Wm.

By' Md, M

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

" UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE..

ELLIS L. WILSON, F SAN ANSELHOK, CALIFORNIA.

DOOR LATCH.

This invention relates to door latches and especially to improvements on the type of latch illustrated in my co-pending application entitledl Door latch, tiled March 7, 1927, Serial No. 173,257.

The object of the present invention is to generally improve and simplify -the construction and operation of the latch mechanism shown in my co-pending application above referred to and particularly to provide a push button actuated mechanism operable fromthe inside of the door in which the latch is mounted whereby the knobs and spindles may be dogged against rotation so as to prevent retraction of the -holt and opening of the door from the outside.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the latch taken on line I-I, Fig. 2,

Fig. 2l is a horizontal section of the latch taken on line Il-IL Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the latch taken on line III-III, Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a Vertical section of the latch taken on line IV-IV, Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a front View of the escutcheon plate which is mounted on, the inside of the door,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the main latch housing,

Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the inner latch housing,

Figs. 8 and 9 are the end plates employe the inner housing,

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of an end plate employed in conjunction with the main latch housing,

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the retractor,

Fig. 12 is a perspective view ot'l thev dogging plate, V

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the spring which co-operates with the dogging plate,

Fig. 14 is a pers ective view ofthe push buttons and the 1in connecting the same,

Fig. 15 is a perspective View of the bushing upon which the push button link 1s pivoted,

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the rollback, Fig. 17 is a perspective view of the bolt, ksaid view also showing a portion of the retractor bolt,

cperspective views of in conjunction wlth p Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the inner end of the retractor bolt,

Fig.,19 is a perspective view of the retractor bolt housing,

Fig. 20 is a perspective view of an end plate which co-operates with the housing 19 and forms a guide for the bolts shown in Fi 17. y

Be ore entering into a detailed description of the latch mechanism, it might be stated that the type of latch illustrated is adaped to be inserted in a door which is prepared for its reception by merely drilling two holes at right angles to each other, the one hole being drilled through the edge of the door as indicated at A and the opposite hole being drilled or bored through the opposite faces of the door and being indicated at B. Itmight also be stated that the latch mechanism in general is substantially identical to that illustrated in my co-pending application already referred to and that the main feature of the present invention is to provide means for dogging the bolt against retraction, the means employed being a pair of push buttons which project through the inner escutcheon plate and which actuate the mechanism whereby the door knob and the spindle are secured against rotation, thereby preventing retraction of the bolt and opening ofy the door. In view of thc fact that the mechanism is substantially identical to that disclosed in my co-pending application, a V brief description thereof should sutiice.

The latch in general consists of a main latch housing C which is inserted in the opening B in the door from the outer face thereof. The housing is cylindrical in shape and elongated as shown 1n Fig. 6 and one end is provided with an annular fiange 2 which engages the outer face of the door and therehy secures the main latch housing against further` inward movement. The opposite end of t-he latch housing is provided`with a plurality of inturned lugs such as indicated at 3 which form a support for an endv plate 5 (see Figs. 2 and 10).V The Alatch housing is otherwise provided with a rectangular-shaped opening as indicated at 6 which serves a function hereinafter to be described. The latch is also provided with an inner housin generally indicated at D which is best iustrated in Fig. 7. This housin fits the interior of the main housing C and 1s provided `with a pair of end plates generally indicated at 7 and 8 (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9), Vthese plates .being secured by means of screws or the like such as indicated at 9 (see Fig. 4).- Each end plate is provided with a central openin a spindle 11 to pass theret 1rough.. 'Each plate is rovided with a pair of track memers suc as indicated at 7a and `8a onl its inner surface, and each plate is also provided with a vertical slot 12, the Afunction* of Vwhich will hereinafter be described.

The spindle 11 extends longitudinally through the` inner latch housing D and it carries a rollback 13 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 16) which is provided with a palr of retracting lugs 14. The rollback is secured .between the end plates 7 and 8 and it serves a func tion of actuating aretractor generally indicated at E (see Fig. 11). The retractor consist-s of a pair of horizont-ally dis osed plates 15 and 16 connected by means o side plate 17, this side plate bcingfslotted as at. 18 to permit the spindle and rollback tol through the guide lugs 19 and the rods are secured in lugs 23 forming a part of the lnner housingv D, the rods being secured against endwise removal by engaging the f inner face of the main latch housing as plainly shown in Fig. 1. Springs surround the rods 22 and they are interposed between the lugs 23 at the right-hand side of the housing and the guide lugs 19. These springs are under constant ressure or ten'- sion at all times and as suc 1 automatically maintain the retractor in engagement with the left-hand side of the inner housing as shown in Fig. 1. The spindle proper is provided with an inner knob 24 and an exterior knob 25 and when either of these knobs are rotated, the spindle and the r oll back will be rotated and one or another of the lugs 14 will accordingly engage the cooperating lugs 14a on the retractor and thus force the retractor towards the right-hand side of the inner housing, (see Fig. l), while release of either knob will permit the springs 22 to exert their pressure and thus return the retractor, the rollback, the spindle and the knobs to normal position. The reciprocal movement of the retractor is transmitted to either project or retract a bolt of the usual character which is generally indicated at 26. This bolt is guided in an end plate 27 (see Figs. 1 and 20) which forms 10 to'permity vided with a headf'r washer 31 on its inner housing 28 (see Figs. 1 and 19). The inner' y end of this housing ris provided with a lug 29 and this is perforated* to form a guide for a .retractor boljt-. z30. This bolt is proend and it is engaged bythe fork-shaped lugf21 of the retractor. The opposite end of the bolt is threaded or otherwise connected with the' bolt 26 `sothat reciprocal movement of the retractor. will be imparted to either projector retract the bolt 26, retraction taking place when the spindle is rotated by means ofeither knob, and the bolt being projected when the knobs are released due to the tension of the springs- 22 and also due to the tension of a spring 32 which is interposed between the lug 29 and'the bolt proper. The inner end of the housing 28 which may be referred to as the bolt housing isjal-s'o provided with a plate such as shown at 33 (see Figs. 2 and 19). This plate projects through the rectangularshaped opening 6 which is formed in the main latch housing (see Figs. 2 and 6) and it is secured to the end plate 8 by means of a screw or the like such as indicated at 34. The distance between the outer edge of `the door and the center of the spindle varies in diderent installations and the plate extension 33 is accordingly provided with a number of perforations'such as shown at 35 (see Fig.`19), thus rendering it possible'to adjust the housing 28 to or away from' the main housing B, and. it also Inakesit possible to rigidly secure the bolt housing to the main housing and the inner housing C without employing any exterior screws as is usually the case.

lOuter and inner escutcheon plates are, of course, employed, the outer'escutcheon plate being indicated at 40 and the inner escutcheon plate at 41.A The outer escutcheon plate is secured to the main latch housing by.

means of bolts such as shown at 42 (see Fig. 3). These bolts pass through the plate 5 and the plates 7 and '8, and they have a threaded connection with the outer escutcheon plate 40, thus securing the same against removal. The inner escutcheon plate is secured to the plate 5 by means of screws 43 (see Fig. 2), the screws passing through the outer escutcheon plate and having a threaded connection with relation to the plate 5. Both plates are accordingly rigidly secured and so is the latch housing as a whole. In fact the latch housing cannot be removed except by removing the interior knob 24 which covers the screws 43. These can then be removed and so can the bolt housing, the plate being cut away on opposit/e sides as shown at 5Et and 5b to permit removal of the screw 34 when the inner escutcheon plate 41 has been removed.

The mechanism so far described merely link 54 is pivotally mounted on the bushing discloses slight changes in the type of mechanism illustrated in my co-pending application. The main ob'ject of the present invention is, however, that of providing a push button actuated mechanism whereby the door may be dogged fronr theinterior. This mechanism is best illustrated in Figs. 2, 4, 12, 13, 14 and 15. The ymechanism consists of a doggingvplate generally indicated at (see Figs. 2V and'. 12). This plate extends through the endv plates 7 and 8 and it is supported and guided therein'by means of the slots 12. The late is longi' tudinally slotted as li `,51..an a bushing 52 extends therethrough (see ligs.` 2 and 15), this bushing being secured to the inner latch housing by means of a .screw 53. A

(see' Figs. 2 and 14) and it is secured against endwise removal with relation ,to the bushing by means of an outer shoulder or flange (see Figs. 2 and 15). nected with the opposite ends of the link 54 is a pair of bars 55 and 56, on the outer ends of which Yare formed push buttons 57 and 58 (see Figs. 2 and 14). The inner ends of the bars 55 and 56 are supported by being pivotally secured to the lmk 54 while .the outer ends of the bars and the buttons proper are supported by extending through the plates 8 and 41 (see Figs. 2 and 4) The upper edge of the dogging plate 50 1s provided with a series' of slots. and notches such 'as indicated at 60, 61 and 62. A pin pro]ects from the l,bar 56 into the slot 50, while the slot-s 61 and 62 are adapted 'to befengaged byv a fiat leaf spring 63 (see' Figs. 2 and 13). The spring63, together with the coo' erating slots or notches 60 and 61 mere y serve the function of" resiliently securing or raising 'the (logging plate in one position or another .as Ywill ereinafter be described. It should also be noted that the dogging plate is provided with an extended lug 65 (see Figs. 2 and v12). This lug will be referred to as a dogging. lug as it serves the function of engaging the retractor E and securing it against movement. f

' The operation of the ush button actuated (logging mechanism wil be as follows:

I a person enters through a door and wishes to dog the door from the inside, for instance when entering 'the bedroom and retiring for thenight. that person merely pushes inwardly on the upper lbutton indicated-aty 157.` This inward movement of the button 57 and -tbe connected' bar 56 causes the link 54 to rock so that the button 58 will become projected, at the same time pin 60 carried by the bar 56 and which projects through the slot 6() forces the dolgging-platev 'inwardly thereby bringing t lug (see Fig. 2) into la position Where it 5 aligns with Athe end plate 20 of the retractor Com knobs 24 and 25 will be dogged against rotation as the retractorayill be dogged against reciprocal movement. VTflhadoor is accordingly dogged from tl1e""ihn er side and it cannot be opened from the outside as the outer knob cannot be rotated, and furthermore, it cannot be' opened as there is no key mechanism provided. vThe person on` the inside may, however, open the door at any time by merely reversing the position of the ush but-tons,` i. e., bydepressing the pro- Jected button indicated at 58'.' This reverses Ithe movement of the link 54 and the clogging plate 50 andtliereby causes retraction of the clogging lug 65, i. e., it is moved out of alignment with relation to the end plate 20 on the retractor, and the retiac'tor will accordingly be free to reciprocate, thus leaving the knob, the `spindle and the rollback free to rotate. rocal movement to'be imparted to the retractor and at the same time causes retraction of the bolt. The dogging' plate is retained in its released position as the spring will engage the slot 61 and thereby resiliently retain the plate and the buttons in the released position..

The foregoing description illustrates a simplel push button actuated vmechanism. whereby the spindle and the knobs' of an ordinary door latchmay be dogged against rotation from the inside face of thefdoor. This is important as it, practically speaking, provides a burglar' proof door latch, this .statement being made in view of the fact that no key mechanism is provided and it is accordingly impossibley to open a door from the exterior whenit has been dogged from the interior. yThe mechanism is simple and substantial in construction, and `while it is here illustrated as applying to a specific forin of latch mechanism, itis obvious that it may be applied wherever a reciprocal retractor is employed as the only function of the push buttons and the mechanism actuated thereby is to interpose a stop lug. between the retractor and the latch housing.

' Having thus described mv invention, what I claim and deslrc to ysecure by Letters Vciprocated during turning movement of the knobs and s indle to .retract or project the bolt, and a ogging plate manual y movable Such rotation causes recipv v between the housing and the retractor, said plate adapted to assume one osition where it leaves the knobs and spin le free to rotate and the retractor and bolt free to reciprocate, and a second position where it secures] the retractor against reciprocal movement and the spindle and knobs against rotation.

2. In a latch of the character described, a housing, a spindle journaled therein, a pair of knobs, one on each end of the spindle, a bolt, a retractor connected with the bolt, said retractor and bolt adapted to be reciprocated during turning movement .of the knobs and spindle to retract or project the bolt, a clogging plate mounted in the housing, said plate adapted to move in a direction transverse to the movement of the retractor,

and manually actuated means whereby the 'a bolt, a retractor connected with the bolt,

said retractor and bolt adapted to be reciprocated during turning movement of the knobs andf'spindle to retract or project the bolt, a clogging plate mounted in the housing, said plate adapted to move in a direction transverse to the movement of the retractor, and manually actuated means whereby the locking plate may be `moved to assume one or another of two positions, one position where it leaves the knobs and spindle free to rotate sand thel retractor free to reciprocate, and a second *positionwhere it becomes interposed between the housing and the retractor thereby'securing the retractor against reciprocal movement and the spindle and knobs against rotation, said meansleaving the bolt free to move inward ly with relation to the latch housing and the retractor.

4. In a latch of the character described, a housing, a spindle journaled therein, a pair ofknobs,.one on each end 'of the spindle, a

bolt, a retractor connected withthe bolt,

said retractor and bolt adapted to be re' ciprocated 'during turning movement of the knobs and spindle to retract or project the bolt, a dogging plate mounted in the housing, said plate adapted to move in a direction transverse to the movement of the retractor, an escutcheon plate at one end of the latch housin ,"a pair of push buttons extending theret rough, and a connection between the push buttons and the clogging plate whereby depression of one button will move the plate to al position where it leaves the knobs and spindle free to rotate and the retractor free to reciprocate, and whereby depression of the other button will move the dogging plate to a position where itbecomes interposed between the housing and the retractor, thereby securing'the retractor against reciprocal movement and the spindle and knobs against rotation.

5. In a latch of the character described, a housing, a spindle journaled-therein, a pair of knobs, one on each end of the spindle, a bolt, a retractor connected with the bolt, said retractor and bolt adapted to be reciprocated durinv turning movement of the knobs and spindle to retract or project the bolt, a dogging plate mounted in the housing, said plate adapted to move in a direction transverse to the movement of the retractor, an escutheon plate at one end of the latch housing, a pair of push buttons extending therethrough, a connection between the push buttons and the (logging plate whereby depression of one button will move theplate to a position Where it leavesl the knobs and spindle free t0 rotate and the retractor vfree to reciprocate, and whereby depression of the other button will move the clogging plate to a position where it becomes interposed between the housing and the retractor;` -thereby securing Ythe retractor against reciprocal movement and the spindle and knobs against rotation, and spring actuated means 'for' retaining the dogging plate and the push 4buttons in either of the before mentioned positions.

6. In a latch of the character described, a housing, a spindle journaled therein, a pair of' knobs, one on e'ach end' of the spindle, a bolt, a retractorconnected with the bolt, said retractor andvbolt adapted tobe,

reciprocated during turning movement of the knobs and spindle to'retract or project the bolt, a clogging plate mounted inthe housing, said plate adapted to move in a directionA transverse to the movement of thel retractor, an esc'utheon plate at one end fofthe latch housing, a pair of push buttons extending therethrough, a l' connection between th'e push buttons and the dogging plate whereby depression of one buttonjwill move theplate to a position where it leaves the knobs and spindle free' to rotate and the retractor free to reciprocate, and whereby ldepression of the other button will move the dgging plate to a position where it becomes interposed between the housing and the retractor, thereby securing the retractor against reciprocal movement and the spindle and knobs against rotation, said (logging plate having a pair of slots formed therein, anda spring atch movable into and out of the slots to retain the flogging plate and the push buttons in either of the before mentioned positions.

7. In a latch of the character described, a housing, a spindle journaled therein, a pair of knobs, one on each end of the spindle, a bolt, a retractor connected with the bolt, said retractor and bolt adapted to be reciprocated during turning movement of the knobs and spindle to retract or project the bolt, a` dogging plate mounted in the housing, said plate adapted to move in a direction transverse to the movement of the lrctrattor, an escutcheon plate mounted at one end of the latch housing, a pair yof push buttons extending therethrough, a centrally pivoted link mounted Within the housing, a connection between one push button and one end of the link, a connection between the other push button and the opposite end of ELLIS L. VILSON. 

